Maga celebrates 30 years; looks to sustainable future with new logo

Thursday, 13 November 2014 00:03 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Malik Gunatilleke Maga Engineering celebrated reaching a milestone of 30 years in the Sri Lankan construction industry while unveiling its new logo at a press event held yesterday at the Hilton Colombo. Maga Engineering Chairman and Managing Director M.G. Kularatne shared his thoughts on the occasion while charting his company’s humble beginnings as well as the drive and vision which led Maga to become the construction giant it is today.

from left: MAGA Director Administration Cyril Fernando, MAGA Director Construction Manager A. Thiruvalluvar, MAGA Director Development Mega Kularatne, MAGA Chairman and Managing Director M.G. Kularatne, MAGA Chief Executive Director M. Piyadasa, MAGA Director Engineering Asoka De Silva, MAGA Director Road and Bridges G. V. S. K. Kumarasiri and MAGA Director Contract Administration Roshan Madarasinghe – Pic by Daminda Harsha Perera “We have come a long way to celebrate 30 years in the business and are happy to see ourselves as the industry leaders today as we celebrate this significant milestone. When we started, we were young and energetic and now we have completed over 100 subcontracts for international contractors,” he said.

Kularatne highlighted the company’s focus on the quality of its workforce which sets it apart from other companies and has been a contributing factor to its success story. He added that this formula has helped the company complete over 400 projects both locally and internationally with landmark achievements in building hotels, hospitals and roads as well as being presented with over 70 awards for its excellence. Elaborating on Maga’s core values, Chief Executive Director M. Piyadasa stated that Maga employs strict financial discipline in order to look at the most economical options while meeting the demands of its clients. “Maga adheres to several core values including a desire to achieve excellence, timely action to resolve problems, teamwork and strict monitoring processes. There is no provision for individuality,” Piyadasa said while revealing the secret of Maga’s longevity. Also speaking at the event, Maga Engineering Director Development Mega Kularatne laid out Maga’s vision for the future as well as the challenges it will face. “The main challenge for the next decade will be sustainability. We have a big role to play in order to avoid falling into the middle-income trap. Improving research and development, operational efficiency and concentrating on innovation will be important,” he said. Kularatne emphasised that the industry had a long way to go in the fields of constructing airports, ports and power generation facilities. This is firmly in Maga’s future plans as it intends to build its technological knowledge and know-how to compete on these fronts in the international market.

He also highlighted the company’s commitment to the environment and the economy, citing several of its eco-friendly projects as well its achievements in the green sector so far. Maga Engineering was established in 1984 while its workforce now exceeds 14,000. Over the last decade Maga managed to complete several significant projects, including the A9 road, Jaffna Teaching Hospital, Kalladi Bridge, A35 road, Point Pedro Water Supply Project, Greater Kandy Water Supply Project and the Hambantota Port Administrative Complex. Maga will also undertake several key projects in the near future including Clearpoint Residencies in Rajagiriya, which will be the world’s tallest residential vertical garden, the NSBM Green University and the Grand Hyatt Colombo Hotel in Colombo 3, which upon construction will be the tallest building in Sri Lanka.